Wednesday, September 29, 2010

AVON PARK, Fla. (AFNS) -- The team of four trudged down the road in the hot, mid-afternoon sun wearing body armor, Kevlar helmets and radios on their backs with their weapons drawn. There had been reports of an enemy stronghold in the area, and the team's mission was to take the "bad guys" out.

Finally, they came to a split in the road.

This was not a real mission, but rather the south tactical lane portion of Atlantic Strike 10-02, an Air Combat Command sponsored joint exercise designed to hone the tactical employment of air power during close air support missions.

Though the exercise was taking place in Central Florida, the simulation was taking place in Southwest Asia. The two Soldiers, Sgt. Alex Hummell, 25th Infantry Division joint fires observer, and Spc. Ron Aschnewitz, 25th ID joint fires observer, continued down the road while Tech. Sgt. Tony Hall, 118th Air Support Operations Squadron tactical air control party and joint terminal attack controller, and Senior Airman Blake Sigmon, 118th ASOS tactical air control party and radio operator, maintainer and driver, took to the left.

The goal for this scenario was for the JFOs to coordinate close air support with the JTAC in order to engage a ground target in support of the maneuver commander's intent, explained Sergeant Hall.

As the two TACPs began down their path, Sergeant Hall tripped over a wire and a ground burst simulator went off beside them, simulating an improvised explosive device. Soon, they took cover and tried to get in contact with the JFOs to determine the point of origin of the attack. Again the two TACPs came under attack, forcing them to leave and find cover someplace else.

"South TAC is designed to mess with their minds," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Schwartz, South TAC training leader. "It is, mentally, the most challenging lane here. They need to be aware of everything that is going on, spatial relationships and where their partners are at all times while under fire."

They took off and found cover by an old, destroyed vehicle. There, they once again tried to get in contact with the JFOs as an UH-1 Huey and an AH-1W Cobra patrolled the sky overhead, waiting for coordinates on the attack's origin.

Finally, a visual was established on the JFOs location by the air support, and attack coordinates were passed.

The thudding blades of the rotor could be heard over head as the helicopter came in for the attack. The rattle of its gun firing accompanied dirt flying through the air and the pounding of metal as bullets tore into the ground and building. Rockets were launched from the helicopter with a final explosion as the Cobra flew off.

Afterward, the TACPs made a call to see if there were any mosques in the town.

"The reason for this call was to ensure to not cause any cultural or religious damage to anything," said Staff Sgt. Wayne Michaelson, South TAC training leader.

Soon a call came in from the JFOs that one of their troops had been "injured" in the previous attack, and a line was called in to the choppers for a medical evacuation.

The Huey soon landed and the "injured" troop was loaded and evacuated.

Once the Huey departed, the Airmen and Soldiers began working to figure out the coordinates of the recent attack. As they began to establish the location, another mortar occurred, forcing them to flee the area again.

"The constant stress from mortar attacks causes confusion and frustration for the JTACs and JFOs," Sergeant Moon explained.

Once the team reached a protected location, the frustration was evident as they began arguing about the attack's origin.

"Just get the coordinates already," Sergeant Hall shouted.

After much discussion, the location of the mortar attacks was established, and a nine-line for another CAS attack was called in.

"Our job as training leaders is to make the JTACs and JFOs mess up," Sergeant Moon said. "If they are doing too well, we'll find something else to throw at them."

"The stress levels were pretty high," explained Sergeant Hall. "There was a lot going on, confusion about target location and communication issues all while being attacked. It's a lot to react to."

Finally, the Cobra called in from over the radio, "threat neutralized."

"The idea of this scenario is to keep the JFOs and JTACs under constant stress to see if they'll still hit accurate targets," Sergeant Schwartz said.

Sergeant Moon explained that each of the different lanes the participants go through are designed this way so that when they are on the battlefield, they will be better trained to handle the stress of combat.

"This is exactly what we are going to be doing in the real world," concluded Sergeant Hall. "It's as close as you can get without real bullets flying at your head."

by Casey E. Bain and Susan Hulker, Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team Public Affairs

AVON PARK, Fla. (AFNS) -- Joint and coalition warfighters improved their close-air support skills during an exercise led by Air Combat Command and U.S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team Sept. 13.

"Atlantic Strike is the quintessential air-to-ground training exercise that provides joint terminal attack controllers, joint fires observers and aircrews with the skills they need to effectively work together to achieve both lethal and non-lethal effects on the battlefield," said Marine Corps Maj. Jabari Reneau, the FIIT's Atlantic Strike exercise director. "This training will ultimately improve our combat effectiveness, while reducing the potential of fratricide and collateral damage during combat operations."

The exercise is to foster trust, increase confidence, and build vital relationships between key members of the air-to-ground team that will be essential to our forces' continued success today and on future battlefields, said Maj. Gen. David L. Goldfein, the director of Air Combat Command Air and Space Operations.

"Those important relationships are being forged here just like they must be on the battlefield when you can look your comrade in the eye and know you can count on each other," the general said. "That's what Atlantic Strike provides our warfighters."

More than 240 participants, CAS subject matter experts, observers and support personnel participated in the exercise, including representatives from all four U.S. services and our coalition partners from Canada and Slovenia.

"Atlantic Strike gave us an excellent opportunity to work with the U.S. military and other partners," said Canadian Forces Capt. Jonathan Cober, a forward air control cell instructor. "Our primary purpose at this exercise was the opportunity to look at the digital CAS technologies used here and to practice key air-to-ground linkages with some of our most important partners."

An added advantage of Atlantic Strike was the ability to focus on the training audience's needs.

"One of the strengths of Atlantic Strike is it is scalable and still able to focus on specific (training) objectives," General Goldfein said. "We're 100 percent focused and committed to the current fight as we keep an eye on the next threat. We know to accomplish that task we must be good joint partners, and this exercise is an example of that commitment."

The exercise improved joint air-to-ground training of Air Force and Marine Corps JTACs, Army JFO teams, the Air Support Operations Center and aircrew by incorporating intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets along with real-time, full-motion video to replicate a realistic and stressful combat environment, similar to operations in Afghanistan.

"Our primary goal was to get as many controls of live CAS aircraft as we could," said Senior Airman Benjamin Schmidt from Detachment 2, 1st Air Support Operations Squadron, Baumholder, Germany. "Atlantic Strike gave us the opportunity to work with a variety of aircraft and the entire air-to-ground kill chain just like we will in combat. This is as about as real world as it gets for us, and it will ultimately help us perform our mission downrange."

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Airmen here celebrated the arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk to Guam during a ceremony Sept. 20.

The Global Hawk brings significant capabilities to the Pacific theater, which will benefit the 36th Wing, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Command, and regional partners, said Gen. Gary North, the PACAF commander.

"Having an (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capability within the Pacific greatly enhances Air Force operational intelligence capabilities to meet mission requirements," General North said. "In addition, the Global Hawk will enhance the U.S. and its partners' ability to effectively address regional challenges, such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, terrorism and piracy."

The Global Hawk is capable of providing government and military decision makers near real-time, high-altitude, long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery that can support a full spectrum of operations. Flying above ordinary commercial traffic, the aircraft can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy, without impacting civilian aircraft routes. The imagery provides the most current information available during contingency or crisis situations.

"This is a technology that saves lives," said Lt. Col. Brandon Baker, the Air Combat Command Det. 3 commander. "The RQ-4 has been used in contingency operations and humanitarian missions before. During wildfires in California, the Global Hawk provided firefighters with a near real-time view of the crisis and helped firefighters and rescue personnel direct their efforts."

In January, the Global Hawk also provided imagery to coordinators of the international disaster relief and humanitarian mission in Haiti's earthquake.

"Basing the RQ-4 at Andersen will support ongoing regional partnerships and reaffirm to U.S. friends, allies and partner nations of our commitment to continue modernization efforts and force structure beddown to support maintaining peace and stability in the region," General North said.

So far, one of three planned Global Hawks has arrived here. The remaining two are scheduled to arrive later this year and at the beginning of 2011. Local crews will launch and land the aircraft from here, while crews at Beale AFB, Calif., will control the bulk of the mission, once out of the local area.

"We'll be flying missions in support of U.S. Pacific Command priorities," Colonel Baker said. "We also intend to share with our allies information pertaining to common regional challenges like humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and piracy."

The Global Hawk has flown more than 45,000 hours worldwide since becoming operational in 1995. The remotely piloted aircraft is flown using a variety of communications protocols, complete with built-in safety measures in the event that communication between the mission control and the aircraft is lost.

In the event that all communication with the aircraft is lost or it encounters an in-flight emergency, the Global Hawk is programmed to continue its flight to its original destination or return to its point of origin and land. During this time, the pilot may be able to reestablish a link to the aircraft. If that is impossible, the Global Hawk is capable of landing on its own.

"The aircraft is flown by fully qualified, certified U.S. Air Force pilots -- a fact which contributes to the RQ-4's unparalleled safety record," Colonel Baker said. "The RQ-4 negotiates pre-programmed flight plans and the pilots communicate with air traffic controllers in a similar manner as pilots in manned aircraft."

Friday, September 10, 2010

WASHINGTON - How U.S. Northern Command balances its assets in protecting the homeland is a matter of gauging the probability and potential consequences of threats, the new Northcom commander said today.

"We have to look at the capabilities and intent" of U.S. adversaries, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. told reporters during a Defense Writers Group meeting here. "Certainly there are nations with cruise missiles who we don't think have any intention to use them. Then, there are terrorist organizations that certainly want to use them that don't have the capability."

Russia has the capability to perform such an attack but not the intent, whereas Iran and North Korea have shown intent, but evidence indicates they lack the capability, he said.

Winnefeld, who also commands the North American Aerospace Defense Command, added that he is confident in the U.S. missile defense system, including ground-based capabilities to stop an attack.

"I'm very comfortable right now that if you asked me to shoot down a missile at this moment from North Korea or Iran, I could do it," he said.

Northcom and U.S. Strategic Command leaders "have a pretty clear understanding" of why the ground-based system failed a test last year, Winnefeld said. He declined to discuss specifics, other than to say that it is difficult to test a system that is still being developed.

"The operational reality we work with every day is that while we're fielding a system, we're also testing it," he said.

Asked about the probability of a nuclear terrorist attack, Winnefeld said he could not speak to intelligence gathered on the issue, but "as Northcom commander, I have to assume the threat is not going down."

Any nuclear attack would be catastrophic, and prevention is the key, the admiral said.

"One of my most important focus areas is to be prepared for it," he said. "No one should have any illusions about how challenging that would be for the nation. The most important thing is to prevent it from happening in the first place, and to be prepared for it to happen."

Northcom and NORAD are in good coordination with the Homeland Security Department, National Guard Bureau and state officials to ensure quick responses, Winnefeld said. "I'm very optimistic that we are headed in the right direction there," he said.

Winnefeld said he also is working closely with Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who recently was confirmed to head the new U.S. Cyber Command, to determine where responsibilities lie in the event of a major attack against computer networks. Northcom likely would work in support of Cybercom and its parent command, Stratcom, he said.

"It really doesn't matter, as long as we're working closely together so that cyber recovery is coordinated," Winnefeld said. Most importantly, he said, "This has to be done with speed. This is a mission that is very critical and time-dependent."

An important part of the Northcom commander's job, Winnefeld said, is to try to predict threats and how to counter them. To that end, he said, he is considering the potential need for a lighter, lower-flying aircraft than the current F-15 to handle certain contingencies, such as those at large, outdoor events.

"It's all about the time, distance and area we can cover," he said. "We can't cover a great, big country 100 percent of the time."

On another topic, Winnefeld called the U.S. military partnership with Mexico a top priority for Northcom and said the command has a "solid, courageous, and sovereign partner" in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's government to counter Mexican drug cartels.

The threat to the United States from the cartels "is very serious," Winnefeld said, but he added that his main worry isn't about violence coming across the border.

"It's really more the slow, corrosive impact that drug cartels ... have on our own society and cities that is really the boiling frog here," he said, as opposed to the "rare, but tragic" violence that occurs along the southern U.S. border.

Northcom is doing everything it can to help the Mexican military, the admiral said, from advancing their capabilities to sharing subject-matter experts and providing human rights training.

"They are voracious devourers of that kind of training," he said. "They really want to get it right, and they realize it's going to take time to get it right."

The admiral said he is encouraged by the sustained effort of the Mexican government to stand up to the cartel problem. "It would be very easy for them to back off on the cartels," he said, "and violence probably would go down."

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A Dyess Air Force Base B-1B Lancer carried a full load of 24 AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles on a flight over the Gulf of Mexico, Sept. 7 -- a first for the B-1 and AGM-158.

"The mission was a success," said Maj. Brian Owen, the chief of wing weapons and tactics. "Everything went as planned, and we can verify that the B-1B can in fact operate its full capacity of JASSMs."

The purpose of the flight was to ensure maintainers, ammo and munitions Airmen and B-1 aircrew are proficient in uploading, flying, employing and downloading the AGM-158 JASSM and to test all missile-related processes to see if there's room for improvement. None of the missiles were released during this test; they were system-checked while in the air.

"Maintainers loading 24 JASSMs on one B-1 is a record-setting event," said Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Rud, of 7th Maintenance Group. "It's never been done before. The main reason we're doing this is for training. It's the cornerstone of all we do. It provides us the opportunity to hone our war fighting skills and gives us the opportunity to project our combat capability right here out of Dyess (AFB)."

The B-1 is the most capable JASSM employment platform in the world, Major Owen said.

"We've seen the engineering specs that say it's supposed to work, but it's never been done before," Major Owen said . "What makes the B-1 unique versus the other aircraft around the world is that we can employ these weapons on such a large scale. We can take off with two aircraft and have the capability to strike 48 different targets."

The second most capable aircraft is the B-2 Spirit, carrying 16 JASMMs, followed by the B-52 Stratofortress with 12.

The AGM-158 JASSM is designed to keep the jet and its crew a significant distance away from surface-to-air threats while still holding an enemy's targets at risk.

The AGM-158A is a stealth cruise missile powered by a Teledyne CAE J402 turbojet that uses flip-out wings with control surfaces and a single vertical tail for flight control. It's guided by a jamming-resistant, GPS-aided inertial navigation system and uses an imaging infrared seeker for autonomous pattern-based target selection and terminal homing.

The missile is armed with a 1,000 pound WDU-42/B insensitive munitions penetrating warhead, and accuracy is quoted within 8 feet. It is also equipped with a data link to transmit status and location information until impact, thus assisting in bomb damage assessment.

"I've been in the aircraft maintenance business for more than 24 years, and anytime you have the opportunity to do something first, it is a real morale booster," Sergeant Rud said. "It gives us here at Dyess (AFB) bragging rights, and that goes a long way in terms of building pride in your unit and pride in the aircraft you work on. I have found that people love to do their primary job, whether it's ammo line delivery crews delivering bombs or weapons loaders loading bombs.

"It's in these moments that people get energized when they see their part of an operation come together with the other pieces of the puzzle that makes them feel good about what they do," he said.